n. An injury to underlying tissues or bone in which the skin is not broken, often characterized by ruptured blood vessels and discolorations.

n. A similar injury to plant tissue, often resulting in discoloration or spoilage.

n. An injury, especially to one's feelings.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

v. To strike (a person), originally with something flat or heavy, but now specifically in such a way as to discolour the skin without breaking it.

v. To damage the skin of (fruit), in an analogous way.

v. Of fruit, to gain bruises through being handled roughly.

v. To bruise easily.

n. A purplish mark on the skin due to leakage of blood from capillaries under the surface that have been damaged by a blow.

n. A dark mark on fruit caused by a blow to its surface.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. An injury to the flesh of animals, or to plants, fruit, etc., with a blunt or heavy instrument, or by collision with some other body; a contusion.

intransitive v. To fight with the fists; to box.

transitive v. To injure, as by a blow or collision, without laceration; to contuse.

transitive v. To break; as in a mortar; to bray, as minerals, roots, etc.; to crush.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

To injure by a blow or by pressure without laceration; contuse, as a pliant substance; dent or beat in without breaking, as anything hard: as, to bruise the hand; a bruised apple; “his bruised shield,”

To crush by beating or pounding; pound; bray, as drugs or articles of food.

Figuratively, to beat down or oppress; cudgel, as the brain; scourge; damage.

To fight with the fists; box.

n. A contusion; a superficial injury caused by impact, without laceration, as of an animal body, a plant, or other impressible object.